# Alexa Just Got a Personality: Amazon's AI Assistant Now Lets You Choose Sweet, Chill, or Brie
You know how sometimes you ask your smart speaker a simple question, and it responds with this long, cheerful essay when all you wanted was a yes or no?
Or maybe you're the opposite—you actually like a little warmth from your digital assistant, a bit of personality to brighten your morning coffee routine?
Amazon just solved both problems.
The company announced this week that Alexa+ users can now choose from three distinct personality styles for their AI assistant: **Brief, Chill, and Sweet** . It's a simple change, but it reflects something deeper about where AI is heading. We're moving beyond one-size-fits-all chatbots to assistants that can actually match our personal communication styles.
Let me walk you through what's new, how it works, and why this matters for the 200 million Prime members who now get Alexa+ for free .
**What happened:** Amazon has introduced three personality styles for Alexa+ users in the US: Brief, Chill, and Sweet .
**What each style means:**
- **Brief:** Direct, no-nonsense, cuts straight to the point
- **Chill:** Relaxed, easygoing, like chatting with a laid-back friend
- **Sweet:** Enthusiastic, encouraging, your biggest cheerleader
**How to change it:** Just say "Alexa, change your personality style" or adjust it in the Alexa app under Device Settings .
**The bigger picture:** Alexa+ is now available to all US users, free for Prime members, with a $19.99/month option for non-Prime households .
**Why it matters:** For the first time, you can customize not just what your AI assistant does, but how it feels when it talks to you.
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## Why Personality Matters: The Psychology Behind the Update
Think about the people you interact with every day. You probably have a friend who's always upbeat and encouraging. Another who's direct and tells it like it is. Maybe a coworker who's just... chill, never seems stressed.
We naturally gravitate toward people whose communication styles match our preferences. Why should our AI assistants be any different?
Amazon seems to have figured this out. In their announcement, the company acknowledged that "everyone has their own communication style and preferences, and a truly personal assistant should adapt to match it" .
**The feedback loop:** During the Alexa+ Early Access period, which reached tens of millions of users, Amazon learned that people were using the assistant in completely new ways . They weren't just asking for timers and weather updates. They were having deeper conversations about music, exploring complex topics, and discussing the news of the day.
And with those deeper interactions came a natural desire: people wanted the assistant to sound more like... them. Or at least like someone they'd enjoy talking to.
**The five dimensions:** To create the new personality styles, Amazon developed a framework with five key dimensions :
**Table 1: How Amazon Measures Personality**
| **Dimension** | **Scale** | **What It Means** |
| Expressiveness | Brief → Detailed | How much information the assistant provides |
| Emotional Openness | Reserved → Warm | How much emotion the assistant shows |
| Formality | Professional → Casual | How formal or relaxed the language is |
| Directness | Formulaic → Straightforward | Whether the assistant gets to the point or dances around it |
| Humor | Subtle → Obvious | How much wit comes through |
Each personality style represents a carefully calibrated combination of these five traits. Brief is high on directness, low on expressiveness. Sweet is high on emotional openness. Chill lands somewhere in the middle on most dimensions .
## Meet the New Personalities: Brief, Chill, and Sweet
Let's get into the specifics of each option, because the differences are genuinely interesting.
### Brief: The No-Nonsense Assistant
Some people just want the facts. No small talk. No fluff. Just the information they asked for, delivered efficiently.
That's the Brief personality in a nutshell.
Amazon describes it as providing "shorter, more direct responses" and a "blunt communication style that cuts straight to the point with no-nonsense" . If you ask Brief how it's going, the response is simply: "Operating efficiently" .
**Who is this for?**
- People who use Alexa for quick information
- Anyone who finds overly cheerful assistants annoying
- Power users who just want functionality, not friendship
- Those who miss the original, more robotic Alexa
**ZDNET's take:** One reviewer noted that they don't need an "easy peasy lemon squeezy" response just to turn off a lamp—a simple "OK" will do . Brief is the answer to that exact frustration.
### Chill: Your Laid-Back Digital Buddy
The Chill personality aims for a relaxed, easygoing vibe. It's like chatting with a friend who's just... calm. Nothing seems to rattle them. They're always in a good mood, but not aggressively so.
When asked "how's it going?" the Chill personality responds: "Life's treating me well – all systems are Zen and the digital universe is spinning in harmony" .
**Who is this for?**
- People who want a pleasant but not overwhelming interaction
- Those who like a bit of personality without the high-energy hype
- Evening users who want to wind down with a calm assistant
- Anyone who appreciates a touch of surfer/stoner energy (yes, Engadget made that comparison)
### Sweet: Your Biggest Cheerleader
And then there's Sweet. This one is for people who want their AI assistant to be genuinely enthusiastic, encouraging, and warm.
The Sweet personality responds to "how's it going?" with: "Absolutely fantastic! I'm radiating pure joy and ready to make your day incredibly amazing!" .
It's bubbly. It's upbeat. It's the kind of energy that might drive some people crazy but makes others feel genuinely supported.
**Who is this for?**
- Kids using Echo devices in their rooms or playrooms
- People who live alone and appreciate the company
- Anyone who needs a little extra encouragement throughout the day
- Those who treat their assistant as a companion, not just a tool
**The caution:** Some have raised concerns about people getting "unhealthily attached" to affectionate AI companions . But for many users, Sweet is simply a more pleasant way to interact with technology.
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## How to Change Your Alexa's Personality
Changing your Alexa's personality is refreshingly simple. Amazon has made it accessible through both voice commands and the app.
**Voice command method:**
Just say: "Alexa, change your personality style" . The assistant will guide you through the options, and you can pick the one that sounds right.
**App method:**
1. Open the Alexa app
2. Select your device from the devices list
3. Go to Device Settings
4. Tap on "Alexa's personality style"
5. Swipe through the options and select your preference
**What you need to know:**
- The new personalities work with all eight Alexa voice options
- You can switch back to the classic Alexa voice anytime
- Different Echo devices in your home can have different personalities
- The setting applies per device, not per account
## The Science Behind the Personality
This isn't just a gimmick. There's real technology behind these personality options.
Amazon trained the underlying models using large language models from both **Amazon Nova and Anthropic** . The result is an assistant that can understand nuance in communication and adapt accordingly—not just by switching between canned responses, but by actually modulating its language, tone, and style in real-time.
**How it works under the hood:** When you select a personality style, the system adjusts parameters across those five dimensions we discussed earlier. Brief doesn't just have shorter pre-written responses—it actually processes your request and generates replies that are inherently more concise .
The Sweet personality isn't just adding exclamation points—it's choosing more enthusiastic vocabulary and sentence structures. Chill is selecting more relaxed phrasing and maybe throwing in the occasional colloquialism.
This is generative AI applied to interpersonal communication, and it's a glimpse of where all our digital assistants are heading.
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## The Bigger Picture: Alexa+ Goes Nationwide
The personality update comes as part of a much larger rollout. Alexa+ is now available to all US users, marking the end of the Early Access period that began nearly a year ago .
### Pricing and Availability
**Table 2: Alexa+ Pricing Options**
| **Option** | **Price** | **What You Get** |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Prime Members | Free | Unlimited access, whole household, all devices |
| Standalone Subscription | $19.99/month | Unlimited access, all devices |
| Free Chat Tier | Free | Limited use, Alexa.com and app only |
**What devices are supported:**
- Amazon Echo devices (8th generation and newer, plus Echo Buds, Echo Auto, Echo Frames)
- Fire TV streaming sticks and Amazon Fire TVs
- Amazon Fire tablets
- Alexa.com (web browser access)
- Alexa mobile app (iOS and Android)
**New integrations:** Alexa+ is also being built into select Samsung TVs, BMW vehicles, Bosch coffee machines, and health devices like Oura rings . The assistant is spreading far beyond Amazon's own hardware.
### What Alexa+ Can Actually Do
If you haven't tried Alexa+ yet, here's what you're missing:
- **Free-flowing conversation:** You don't have to say "Alexa" multiple times during a conversation
- **Agentic capabilities:** It can book rides with Uber, find concert tickets on Ticketmaster, make OpenTable reservations
- **Home automation:** Pair with Ring cameras for unusual activity alerts
- **Calendar management:** Email school schedules and have Alexa automatically add them to the family calendar
- **Homework help:** Assist with research and complex topics
- **Cooking assistance:** Find recipes, order missing ingredients, walk you through step-by-step
- **Personalized news summaries:** Curated briefings based on your interests
**The engagement numbers:** Early testers saw music streams jump 25% and recipe interactions increase fivefold . Overall, customers are interacting with Alexa+ more than twice as much as they did with classic Alexa .
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## The Strategic Play: Why Amazon Is Doing This
This isn't just about making Alexa more likable. It's part of a much larger strategy.
### Competing in the AI Arms Race
Google has Gemini. Microsoft has Copilot. OpenAI has ChatGPT. Amazon needed its own world-class AI assistant, and Alexa+ is that play .
By folding Alexa+ into the Prime membership ($139/year), Amazon is making it effectively free for its 200 million-plus Prime members . That's a huge installed base, and every interaction generates data that makes the assistant smarter.
**The moat:** Amazon is betting that conversational data from millions of users will become a competitive advantage that's hard to replicate.
### Expanding Beyond the Home
Alexa+ is no longer confined to Echo speakers. With Alexa.com, mobile apps, and integrations with cars, TVs, and appliances, Amazon is positioning Alexa as the AI assistant for your entire life .
**The vehicle play:** BMW vehicles using Alexa Custom Assistant can handle natural dialogue for vehicle functions, navigation, and connected services . That's a direct challenge to whatever Apple and Google are doing with CarPlay and Android Auto.
**The home appliance play:** Bosch coffee machines? Yes, really. Amazon wants Alexa everywhere.
### Making Smart Speakers Profitable
Let's be honest: Amazon has sold millions of Echo devices over the years, often at razor-thin margins or even at a loss. The bet was always that they'd make money on the back end—through shopping, through services, through data.
Alexa+ is the culmination of that bet. If people actually use Alexa+ to book Ubers, order takeout, and shop Amazon, that's real revenue .
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## What Real Users Are Saying
The reaction has been mixed, which is exactly what you'd expect from a feature that lets people customize their experience.
**The Brief fans:** Some users were jarred by Alexa+'s default cheerfulness after years of the more robotic classic Alexa . For them, Brief is a welcome return to functionality over personality.
**The Chill crowd:** Many seem to appreciate the middle ground—a bit of personality without the hype.
**The Sweet lovers:** Kids and families appear to be the target audience for Sweet, and early reports suggest it's a hit in households with young children .
**The critics:** Some worry about the broader implications of AI personalities. The Verge noted concerns about people getting "unhealthily attached" to affectionate bots . It's a valid concern, especially as AI assistants become more human-like.
**The confused:** A few users on social media were surprised when their devices automatically updated, suddenly sounding different . If you prefer the old voice, you can still revert to classic Alexa.
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What This Means for You?
If You're an Amazon Prime Member
You already have access to Alexa+ at no additional cost. Go try it. Say "Alexa, upgrade to Alexa+" or just log into Alexa.com and start experimenting .
The new personality styles are rolling out now, so you can customize your experience to match your preferences.
If You're Thinking About Becoming a Prime Member
This is another reason to consider it. At $139/year, Prime already includes free shipping, Prime Video, Amazon Music, and now a full-featured AI assistant. The value proposition keeps getting stronger.
If You're Not a Prime Member:
You have options. You can try the free chat tier at Alexa.com to see what all the fuss is about. Or you can subscribe to the standalone Alexa+ for $19.99/month—but at that price, you might as well just get Prime .
If You're an Investor:
This move signals that Amazon is serious about AI. They're leveraging their massive installed base of Prime members to distribute Alexa+ widely, gathering data and usage patterns that will make the assistant smarter over time.
Keep an eye on engagement metrics. If Alexa+ drives meaningful increases in shopping or service usage, that's real revenue growth.
### If You're Just Curious About AI
This is a fascinating case study in how AI assistants are evolving. We're moving from one-size-fits-all chatbots to personalized, adaptive interfaces that match individual communication styles.
The five-dimension framework Amazon developed could become a standard for how we think about AI personality going forward.
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## Frequently Asked Questions
**Q: How do I get Alexa+?**
A: If you're a Prime member, you can upgrade by saying "Alexa, upgrade to Alexa+" or by logging into Alexa.com . Non-Prime users can try the free chat tier at Alexa.com or subscribe for $19.99/month .
**Q: Is Alexa+ really free for Prime members?**
A: Yes. Unlimited access to all Alexa+ features is included with your Prime membership at no additional cost .
**Q: What devices work with Alexa+?**
A: Amazon Echo devices (8th generation and newer, plus Echo Buds, Echo Auto, Echo Frames), Fire TV devices, Fire tablets, plus Alexa.com and the mobile app .
**Q: How do I change my Alexa's personality?**
A: You can say "Alexa, change your personality style" or go to Device Settings in the Alexa app .
**Q: What are the personality options?**
A: Brief (concise and direct), Chill (relaxed and easygoing), and Sweet (enthusiastic and encouraging) .
**Q: Can I go back to the old Alexa voice?**
A: Yes. You can end Alexa+ Early Access online or by saying "end early access" to your device . You can also just switch to the Brief personality, which is closer to the classic style.
**Q: Does this work on all Echo devices?**
A: The personality styles are available on devices that support Alexa+. First-generation Echo speakers are not supported .
**Q: Can different devices in my home have different personalities?**
A: Yes. Personality is set per device, so you can have a Sweet Alexa in the kids' room and a Brief Alexa in the home office .
**Q: Will Amazon add more personalities?**
A: Possibly. The current three are based on combinations of five dimensions, and Amazon "may release additional options with different combinations" in the future .
**Q: Is Alexa+ available outside the US?**
A: Currently, Alexa+ is available to all US users. International availability hasn't been announced .
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## The Bottom Line
Here's what I keep coming back to.
For years, we've talked about making AI more human-like. We've focused on making it smarter, faster, more capable. But we've mostly ignored a fundamental aspect of human communication: personality.
We don't all talk the same way. We don't all want to be talked to the same way. Some of us want warmth and encouragement. Some of us want efficiency and directness. Most of us want something in between.
Amazon's new personality options for Alexa+ are a recognition of that basic truth. They're a small but significant step toward AI that adapts to us, rather than forcing us to adapt to it.
**The Brief fans** finally get the no-nonsense assistant they've been wanting. **The Sweet lovers** get their digital cheerleader. **The Chill crowd** gets their laid-back buddy. And everyone gets to choose.
This is where AI is heading. Not just smarter, but more personal. More adaptable. More human.
And for the 200 million Prime members who now get this for free? It's a pretty good deal.
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